Pokemon Go Expert Endorses Pokemon Go Plus

Watch Nick from Trainer Tips testing and explaining Pokemon Go Plus.

The popular Pokemon Go tutorial channel Trainer Tips has released a Pokemon Go Plus review. Nick is showing off all the features of Go Plus and tests the device in the real world. In the end he says Pokemon Go Plus is worth the $35. He will make it part of his Pokemon Go experience. He is though more excited about the upcoming Pokemon Go smartwatch apps because these show which Pokemon is here.

Oddly, you are not able to catch a Pokemon from an Apple Watch. This is something Niantic needs to change before release later this year. In the meantime Pokemon Go Plus a great way to make playing Pokemon Go more effective.

If you want your mind blown, watch Nick's latest video where he explains why Snorlax has no counters in Pokemon Go.

eBay and Amazon marketplace offers for the Pokemon Go Plus are around $100. At these premiums it is worthwhile to wait for the next shipments of Pokemon Go Plus from Nintendo.

The Pokemon Go Plus wearable notifies trainers about encounters of Pokemon and PokeStops. You can leave your smartphone in locked mode in your pocket and the Pokemon Go app still tracks distance for egg hatching and your Buddy Pokemon. This feature has not been pre announced and was a big surprise. The accuracy of distance tracking with the Pokemon Go Plus appears to be more accurate. Some owners even report about getting more distance credited for the same routes than with just the app. There is a theory that the Pokemon Go Plus has a built-in pedometer. This has not been confirmed yet.

The Pokemon Go Plus device turned out more useful than believed. When connected, the Pokemon Go app continues to track distance even when the smartphone is in locked mode. This saves considerable battery life. Pokemon Go Plus uses flashing colors and vibrations to notify you about PokeStops and encounters of wild Pokemon.

Pokemon Go Plus works with the latest Pokemon Go app updates 0.37.1 (Android) and 1.7.1 (iOS). Raiding PokeStop is extremely convenient with the Go Plus. After getting notified of the presence of a PokeStop, you just press the button and you collect all items. This works also great for lucky trainers that work or live next to a PokeStop. They can just every 5 minutes.

The Pokemon Go Plus wristband is also notifying you when there is a wild Pokemon. You can try to catch it by pushing the button to throw a ball. This is though less of a powerful feature. There is no guarantee that you catch the Pokemon. On top of that you do not know which Pokemon it is. You need to pull out your smartphone to check. If it is a rare Pokemon, you then can decide to use a more powerful ball.

If you catch a Pokemon with the Pokemon Go Plus you receive XP, stardust and candy as you would catch with the app.

The Pokemon Go accessory is compatible with Android devices that have 2GB RAM or more with Android Ver. 4.4–6.0 installed. Bluetooth Smart (Bluetooth Ver. 4.0 or higher) is required to use Pokemon Go Plus on Android.

Niantic updated the Pokemon Go app to versions 0.37.1 (Android) and 1.7.1 (iOS) to support the Pokemon Go Plus device. Niantic will release smartwatch apps for Pokemon Go later this year for Apple Watch and Android Wear smartwatches. On the Pokemon Go Apple Watch app you see the wild Pokemon on your wrist. What is strangely missing is the option to catch the Pokemon from your smartwatch. This is possible on the Pokemon Go Plus and there is no reason why that would not be enabled on the smartwatch.

There is hope that Niantic will change its mind about this. The full capabilities of the Pokemon Go Plus have been not known until after the release.

The Author

Luigi LugmayrLuigi Lugmayr (Google+) is the founding chief Editor of I4U News and brings over 15 years
experience in the technology field to the ever evolving and exciting
world of gadgets. He started I4U News back in 2000 and evolved it into
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Luigi can be contacted directly at ml@i4u.com.

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